Coupling



Jan. 4, 1949.

D. w. MAlN COUPLING Filed Dec. 29, 1945 I (WWW UUNALDW MAIN flew/mo r Patented Jan. 4, 1949 2,458,088 COUPLING Donald W. Main, Jackson, Mich, assignor, by

means assignments, to Aeroquip Corporation, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 837,807

' Claims. (Cl. 285-469) The present invention 8 relates to a coupling and "I is urged into clamping engagement with the more particularly to 'a quick connecting and disconnecting coupling ior tubulanmembers.

In the art of tube couplings it is desirable to have means for providing quick connecting and disconnecting which is positive in operation and yet holds the parts in sealing relation. The present invention provides a coupling, the parts of. which when brought together, snap into locking relation.

According to the present invention, it is an object to provide a snap-action coupling. 1

Another object oi the invention is to provide a coupling which has a positive lock.

Still another object oi the invention is to Provide a coupling of the character described wherein a fluid seal is obtained and maintained by a positive latch.

A iurthe'rcbject oi the invention is to provide a coupling of the character described wherein a 20 simple releasing lock permits the disconnecting of the coupling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coupling oi the character described, having a novel latch mechanism.

These and other objects residing in the ar-' rangement, combination and construction. oi the parts will be apparent from the following specification when takenwith the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is avertical section of theinvention, Fig. 2 is a section on the line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevational view 01 the catch for the latch, and

Fig. 4 is a partial section of a detail showing the 3 relation of the latch and catch to each other.

Referring particularly to the drawing, an enterlng portion l is associated with a receiving portion 2. The portions l and 2 are provided with threaded portions 3 and l ior attachment to suitable other hose or pipe terminating arrangements.

The entering portion l is provided with a tubular portion I" having thereon intermediate its ends an annular boss Ii. It will be understood that instead of employing an annular boss 5, there may be provided as many discontinuous bosses as there are catches, to be hereinafter described, on the receiving portion 2.

The receiving portion 2 is provided with a tubular extension 8 of larger diameter than the receiving portion 2. The tubular extension 8 has telescopically arranged. on the outside thereof, a sleeve 1 which is provided with a ring 8 overlapping the end of the tubular member 8. The rin end oi tubular member I by a nut 8, threaded to a threaded end ID of the sleeve 1 and overlapping a shoulder l4 oi the receiving portion 2.

A seal between the receiving portion 2 and the tubular member 6 is provided by a resilient ring i5 oi normally circular cross-section and conventionally known as an 0- ring. The flexible ring it may be oi any suitable material such as-artificial rubber and oi any suitable consistency permitting the same to iiex un er the pressure or escaping fluid thereagainst, although other equivalent types oi sealing rings, may be employed. The sealing ring II is disposed in a cavity l-B iormed by an undercut edgezoi a ring l'l threaded into the inside oi the outer end oi the tubular memher 8. The ring I1 is screwed against a washer l8 bearing against a member I! in turn bearing against a shoulder in the inner surface oil the tubular member 8. The member. I! is ior the purpose oisupporting a self-sealing structure not a part oi this invention and not iurther disclosed.

The annular boss 5 comprises a latch and serves to hold the entering portion l and receiving portion 2 together when it is disposed behind I a catch" 28. The catch is in the iorm oi a 3 rod shown particularly in each oi the figures oi the drawing and is mounted ior rotation in the ring 8 on the end oi the sleeve 1. At each end oi the catch 25 is disposed a nub 26 which preierably is iormed by milling away a portion oi'the catch 25 providing notches 21 as shown particularly in Fig. 3. The catch 28 and the notches 21 are so arranged in the ring 8 as to project the nub 26 outwardly irom the periphery of the ring l1 and into association with opposed shoulders 28 and 28 carried by a sleeve 30 telescoped on the r outer surface oi the sleeve 1. The sleeve III is provided at the end opposite the shoulders 28 and 29- with an abutment ring 3i. Adiacent the shoulders 28 and 28. on the sleeve I is a boss 32. The boss I2 is annular except ior broken out parts at points where the catch 25 projects outwardly as shown in Fig. 4. A helical spring 33 disposed about the sleeve I and beneath the sleeve 30, bears ,at one end against the abutment ring 3| and at the other end against the boss 32 so as to resiliently urge the shoulders 28 and. 28 to the right as viewed in Fig. 1. Motion to the right causes the shoulder 28 to engage the nubs 28 causing the catch 28 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. A central portion of the catch 25 is cut away so as to' provide a passage having a shoulder 31 ior the purpose or permitting the tree passage of tionshereinafter explained.

There is provided an additional catch is identics] in structure and operation-with the catch II opposite the catch 2I. It is to be understood, however, that the number or catches may be one, two, or any other desired number.

The operation of the invention is as iollows: The catch II and the catch 38 are normally held with the shoulder 31 in inclined position as shown in Fig. 1, by the action of the spring 33' urging the shoulder 28 against the nubs 28. When theatube l of the entering portion I is inserted into the receiving portion 2 the-boss I engages the inclined shoulder 31 camming the same to rotate the catch 25 in a. counterclockwise direction. Thisaction causes a compression oi the spring 13 due to the nubs bearing against the shoulder 2|. As soon as'the boss I passes the shoulder 31, the resiliency oi the spring I3 causes the catch II to rotate in a clockwise direction as heretofore explained to present the outer surface of the'catch 2| against the following side or the boss I to retain the entering portion 1 against displacement from the receiving portion 2. Thus the entering portion i and the receiving portion}? are positively latched together. When it is dosired to disconnect the entering portion I and the receiving portion 2, it is merely necessary to slidethe sleeve 30 on the sleeve 1 to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4, to cause the shoulder 28 to bear against the nubs II to rotate the catch, II in a counter-clockwise direction to move the shoulder 31 into a horizontal-position as viewed in Fig. l, to permit the escape of the boss I past the catch II. In describingthe operation of the invention, itis, of course, understood that the catch 88 and other catches ii they are provided, function in the same manner as the catch 2I and I are released in the same manner.

While the invention has been described for use with pipes or tubes. it will be understood that it is equally applicable to solid bars if desired. The form oi the invention disclosed embodies a receiving portion 3 made up oi -several separate parts, including the tube I,.sleeve I, ring 8 nut 9,}

i1 and member is. It is contemplated that r1118 they may be made as a single piece. It will also be understood that .while I have; described one embodiment of the invention, other embodiments the boss I under condiare contemplated.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

. 1. A coupling of the character described comprising a receiving portion and an entering portion. said portions .being adapted to be moved into telescoping relation, a latch on the outer surface 1 of said'entering portion, ayieldable catch on said 10 receiving portion in thepath 01' said latch upon the telescoping oi saidportions. said catch yielding to the passageoi said latch upon telescoping movement of said portions in a coupling direction but positively .resisting movement of saidlatch' in a return direction, said catch comprisinga bar having a locking shoulder and mounted for axial rotation, andspring means for resiliently biasing said bar rotationally to dispose said shoulder in a predetermined latch locking position.

2. A coupling as claimed in claim 1 wherein said yieldable catchis'transversely rotatable in said receiving portion, and means is disposed exteriorly of said receivingportion for releasing said latch means. w J

25 3. A coupling as claimed in claim 1 comprising spring latch means, and annular means disposed telescopically on one oi'said portions for releas' ually operable to move said catch out of operative relation to said latch. I. The inventionas defined in claim 4 wherein II the catch has a portion extending outwardly of said receiving portion, and wherein the means for yieldingly actuating said catch is mounted on the outside 01' said receiving portion.

40 DONALD W. MAIN.

. REFERENCES orrnn The following 'rei'erences are of record in fthe "file oi this patent:

K 45 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,069,434 Eastman Feb. 2, 1932 2,255,333 Bcheiwer --'Sept.9,1941

6 2,344,740 Bhafl Mar. 21, 1944 

